Maybe not, according to a survey on doctor honesty. More than 1,800 doctors nationwide answered anonymously.

"Fifty-five percent said in the last year they described a patient's prognosis in a more positive way than was warranted," says researcher Lisa Iezzoni, MD, director of the Mongan Institute for Health Policy at Massachusetts General Hospital. She is also professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

More than a tenth said they had told an adult patient or a child's guardian something that was not true.

"Nearly 20% of doctors had not disclosed mistakes to their patients because they were afraid of being sued," she tells WebMD.

However, the survey did not ask for explanations. In some cases, she says, there could be a plausible reason to bend the truth. A patient with a terminal illness may have told her doctor she does not want to know how bad it is looking, for instance.

The study is published in Health Affairs.

Doctor Honesty: More Survey Results

The researchers wanted to see if the doctors followed the standards spelled out in the Charter on Medical Professionalism. This was published in 2002 by the American Board of Internal Medicine and endorsed by more than 100 medical professional groups. It addresses responsibilities and communication topics, such as honesty in talking to patients so they can make an informed decision.